Linux Offers Sense, Easy Use, and Flexibility for Users

It Makes Sense

Whenever I have to work with another operating system, I find myself regularly thinking, “This doesn’t make any sense!” Linux, on the other hand, was designed by someone (Linus Torvalds) who understood how to create an operating system in a logical manner.

Here’s a good example. On Windows, if you want to run a command, you have to run it from the folder in which the executable is saved. Say, for instance, you want to run Firefox from the command line. To do that on Windows, you might first have to change into the Mozilla Firefox directory and then issue the command start firefox.exe. On Linux, you can type firefox from any directory and the application will launch. This is possible on Linux because there are certain directories that are in a user’s $PATH, which means the commands within those directories are recognized from anywhere in the filesystem. There’s no extra work to be done. It’s simple. It makes sense.

It’s Easy

This might run counter to public opinion, but Linux is actually far easier than either MacOS or Windows. I will admit that in those early days, Linux was challenging. However, over the years, the developers and designers listened to the users and created an operating system (and various distributions) that simplifies nearly every aspect of using a computer.

Another area where Linux shines in its ease is installing applications. If you want an app, you open the desktop’s app store, search for it, and click Install. If you download an installer (such as a .deb or .rpm file), most often your desktop is set up to automatically open the likes of GDebi (a GUI tool for installing downloaded applications). Or you could use the command line package manager, such as sudo apt-get install opera -y. If you can’t find the app in the default repositories, try one of the universal package managers, like Snap (sudo snap install opera).

It Lets Me Work How I Want

This one is important to me. I’ve always found both MacOS and Windows to be incredibly limiting in flexibility. I want to work in a way that best suits me, not Apple or Microsoft. Thanks to Linux, I can do that.

If I don’t like how something functions, I can change it. You see, Linux isn’t locked down into one way of doing things. In fact, with Linux, there’s a never-ending combination of how you can do things. This is made possible because of various distributions, desktop environments, window managers, package managers, and more.

It’s Flexible

If you like, you can use Linux as is. Install Ubuntu or Linux Mint and use it as the developers intended. Or maybe you don’t like the GNOME desktop, so you install Plasma. You prefer a dock instead of a traditional panel, so you install Cairo. You don’t like having the dock on the bottom of the screen, so you move it to the left side.

It’s Secure

In nearly thirty years of usage, I’ve only come across a single instance of malicious software. I’d inherited a job working on a Linux server that was poorly set up. Somehow, a rootkit was installed and I not only had to discover it was there but also migrate everything to a new server. That was the only time such an occurrence happened.

Other than that, I’ve never once worried about malware, ransomware, or viruses. Why? Linux is exponentially more secure than Windows and considerably more secure than MacOS. Before you think Linux is the perfect solution to solve all of your security issues, know that any time a computer is connected to a network it’s vulnerable. The difference is how easily that vulnerability can be exploited.